This is great - includes 5 minutes of footage of Apolo doing dryland workouts with his trainer.

Also, watch the complete 11-minute interview here.

Universal Sports has a cool new photo gallery of Apolo - promotional photos taken recently in Los Angeles. Click the image to see the full gallery:

More photo galleries available featuring:

Allison Baver
J.R. Celski
Kimberly Derrick
Katherine Reutter

It should have been Yuki doing the hairdresser part played by Tabitha! Anyway, it's a photo finish - reminds me of that Michael Phelps race from Beijing last summer, where you see one result with the naked eye and another on the slo-mo replay. I still think Apolo had it!

Janet and the furry Apolo

Janet was a huge booster of Apolo, going so far as to name her beloved Golden Retriever puppy after our favorite skater. She derived an extra measure of pride in Apolo (the athlete, that is!) because of their mutual connection to Seattle. Janet was a longtime Seattle resident and ardent booster of Mukilteo, where she lived with her family, and of the entire Seattle region. She shared this passion through her blog, Mukilteo Musings, where her OZ friends (and people around the world) discovered Janet's incredible talent for expressing herself in writing. Whether reading her 'only in Seattle' posts or admiring her photos of the gorgeous scenery she so admired, I was struck by Janet's deep affection for her home.

After spending time talking with Janet or perusing her blog, it became apparent that her pride in Seattle was exceeded only by the pride she took in her family - two children and a husband to whom she was devoted. All of us who had the pleasure of knowing Janet have Dave, Lucas and Kaley in our thoughts.

I am regretting more than ever that the OZ comments are out of commission because I'm sure many of you could share some great Janet stories with us all. The comments are open on her blog, however, and I imagine her family would welcome any thoughts you'd like to share with them.

I came across something Janet wrote on her blog last December, and it's really stayed with me: Look for the gifts in your daily lives. They are there if you are paying attention.

Just a few highlights from Janet's involvement with the OZ community:
Janet was instrumental in the early years in helping us get video footage of Apolo's races to watch here on OZ. She would record the coverage shown on CBC, a channel she received in Seattle, and so we had a nice pipeline of footage in those pre-YouTube years as a result of her efforts.

Back in 2003, Janet and her daughter Kaley were on hand when Apolo spoke at the Seattle announcement that Vancouver would play host to the 2010 Olympics. She was excited to share her experience with us.

Even earlier, Janet outlined some very clever, tongue-in-cheek tips (although not completely!) for fans visiting Seattle for the first time to see Apolo in the 2002 Seafair parade.

Still in the afterglow of this great and exciting competition, I was privileged to be able to attend. It will be the yardstick from which I will judge all future competitions. While no large international event is ever problem-free, it was so graciously and expertly executed with a high degree of European sensibility and attention to detail. ASSA deserves high praise.

Venue - While seating was not within "ice chip" range, it did not deter my total enjoyment nor hinder my visual field. The running track that separated the rink from seating actually provided a second "stage" to the rink itself. It was a beehive of activity before and during the races, with athletes, former athletes, coaches, trainers, media and ISU officials engaged in their various activities. The athletes particularly enjoyed this "space" as they could jog, stretch, work out, relax, socialize and still be in the "thick of things" by watching the races live. They had their own athletes section below the rink but seemed to favor this upper level.

We could easily view the 2 heat boxes. There was even an area set up with stationary bikes. Armed with a pair of binoculars, you had a glimpse of the backstage world of short track and international competition, and of your favorite athletes. This only enhanced my SST experience.

Athletes - More than any other event, I was impressed by the respect and friendliness the athletes demonstrated with each other, particularly the US and Korean teams. Only shared humor, smiles and easy exchanges whenever they met. The same can be said of all the athletes and coaches who intermingled easily with each other. There is a global lesson to be learned here.

US Team - Personally speaking and in no way speaking for the athletes, I did not think the race results reflected the high abilities of our team. They skated strong and clean, looked really good on the ice. It's just the nature of the sport that not everyone can come in top 3 all the time. While some athletes are always harder on themselves than others (and this goes for all athletes everywhere), they all know how to move on. Many had obtained a personal best and skated their best lap times.

Here are some photos from the practice sessions - Team huddle around the coaches and Apolo choosing an appropriate squeegie for his requisite ice maintenance duty! (top)

Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been in!! March is the rainy season and it was cloudy and overcast, but this in no way detracted from the beauty around us. Temperatures were comfortable although changeable throughout the course of the day. The US team arrived early enough to do some sight-seeing and although most places are closed on Sunday - you can see all the beautiful churches. AND they did find a Prada store that was open. Most indulged in the famous Sacher torte at the Hotel Sacher. Internet access [at the host hotel] is expensive - 22 Euros/24hrs. The athletes were given a number of access codes to bypass this expense, so you can imagine the difficulty of logging in during the peak evening hours!

The Albert-Schultz-Hall was the original venue chosen for Worlds; however, Austria's hockey team had advanced further than expected and this necessitated the need to revert the venue back to the hockey team. I believe both events were scheduled for the same weekend. The Ferry Dusika Hallenstadion was the new venue - it is in fact a velodrome used to host cycling, handball, and volleyball championships. They have also hosted Davis Cups. For short track they brought in a portable rink. I am not familiar with portable rinks, but if I had not known it was portable I don't know if I would have realized it. The athletes seemed very satisfied.

The stadium is beautiful and huge. The seating was not "up close" but I had no complaints about the viewing - I was able to see everything. The Austrian Speedskating Association did a tremendous job and I felt it was probably the best competition I have been to. All of the ASSA members and volunteers were exceedingly gracious and eager to help in any way. The skaters said that the "ice was really good." I believe it did get softer during the afternoon of the first practice session on Wed. (the skaters practiced at the Albert-Schultz-Hall on Mon/Tues). ASSA was very attentive in remedying any of these technical problems. The USS officials were particularly kind and generous to the American fans and appreciated our presence there.

The host hotel was a very easy 5 minute walk away from the stadium and shuttle buses were available every 30 minutes. It was nice to have this proximity and choose walking or riding as it suited us. There was also a very nice shopping mall built right alongside the stadium and an U-bahn station. The set-up could not have been more convenient or pleasant, and allowed so much flexibility.

I was able to attend the US teams' practice session on Weds/Thurs right up by the pads and also saw the athlete's facilities - they were all first-rate. Had my first "ice chips" experience with the ice flying right at me - that was thrilling!!

Jim Hewish was the chief referee and has the reputation of being one of the best. Again I thought the officiating was extremely fair and perhaps the best to date. It was rumored that they were mindful of the large percentage of DQ's during the European WC's and took extra care to examine all video footage carefully. They did a superb job.

While there was not a full house, you would not have realized it for all the enthusiasm and energy in the air. Korea and China had the largest fan bases. The Chinese ambassador attended and participated in one of the medal ceremonies. Every country had a fan base that enthusiastically supported their skaters. There were no patriotic divisions as spectators applauded and cheered for ALL winners. There was always respectful applause for all athletes who fell and were able to stand and for athletes who needed to be "carried" out. All in all, it was a most enthusiastic and respectful crowd!!

Here are pictures of the stadium - the huge "blue" portions of the interior are actually huge expanses of blue tarp to cover the curved sides of the velodrome. Also a photo of state of the art zamboni!

Speedskating Canada | Hamelin will be in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games

"Charles Hamelin is now officially qualified to represent Canada in short track speed skating at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Hamelin managed to keep his 3rd position in the overall rankings of the World Championships in Vienna, Austria, to secure his spot on the 2010 team."

AP | South Korea, China dominate at short track worlds

Men's Relay Final
1. UNITED STATES 6:51.400
2. CHINA 6:51.957
3. JAPAN 6:52.433
4. GERMANY 6:58.365
DQ ITALY

Women's Relay Final
1. CHINA 4:10.531
2. KOREA 4:11.837
3. CANADA 4:12.506
4. UNITED STATES 4:12.572

Overall classification - men
1. LEE Ho-Suk KOR 89 points
2. CELSKI J.R. USA 65
3. HAMELIN Charles CAN 47
4. KWAK Yoon-Gy KOR 47
5. OHNO Apolo Anton USA 37
6. JEAN Olivier CAN 15
7. TREMBLAY Francois-Louis CAN 11
8. SUI Bao Ku CHN 6
9. TAKAMIDO Yuzo JPN 3 6 2:19.829
10. SIMON Jeff USA 2

Overall classification - women
1. WANG Meng CHN 81 points
2. KIM Min-Jung KOR 76
3. ZHOU Yang CHN 63
4. SHIN Sae-Bom KOR 39
5. LIU Qiuhong CHN 31
6. GREGG Jessica CAN 16
7. REUTTER Katherine USA 8
8. DERRICK Kimberly USA
9. NOVOTNA Katerina CZE
10. ROBERGE Kalyna CAN
15. SMITH Jessica USA

Men's 3000m superfinal
1. CELSKI J.R. USA 4:48.444
2. LEE Ho-Suk KOR 4:50.114
3. HAMELIN Charles CAN 4:50.833
4. OHNO Apolo Anton USA 4:57.104
5. KWAK Yoon-Gy KOR 4:58.670
6. TREMBLAY Francois-Louis CAN 4:59.723
7. JEAN Olivier CAN 5:01.258
8. SUI Bao Ku CHN 5:02.246

Women's 3000m superfinal
1. ZHOU Yang CHN 4:58.955
2. KIM Min-Jung KOR 4:59.332
3. SHIN Sae-Bom KOR 4:59.935
4. WANG Meng CHN 5:08.972
5. LIU Qiuhong CHN 5:12.689
6. GREGG Jessica CAN 5:24.063
DQ REUTTER Katherine USA

Men's 1000m A final
1. LEE Ho-Suk KOR 1:33.060
2. OHNO Apolo Anton USA 1:33.262
3. CELSKI J.R. USA 1:33.478
DQ KWAK Yoon-Gy KOR

Women's 1000m A final
1. WANG Meng CHN 1:29.878
2. KIM Min-Jung KOR 1:29.988
3. SHIN Sae-Bom KOR 1:30.901
DQ ZHOU Yang CHN

New York Times | Picking Up a Career in Perfect Stride

Ohno, talking with students, trained last month at Utah Olympic Oval. Ohno will compete this weekend at the world championships in Vienna. (Jeffrey D. Allred for The New York Times)

“I know that I was meant to skate,” Ohno said. “Whether it’s to stand on the podium again or deliver a different message, I don’t know. I’ve won everything that I can possibly win. I’ve been consistent. I’ve had amazing races. I’ve had the perfect race.

“And I really, honestly, in my heart believe there’s a reason why I’m still skating. There’s a reason I’m still healthy, a reason I’m still winning, a reason I’m still here.”

Ohno’s elite training started in Vancouver, the same place it is likely to end next February. Whether it is fate or destiny or simply the act of coming full circle, Ohno appreciates the symmetry.

To the perfect race he skated in Italy, he hopes to add the perfect ending.

Also: Short Track to Ballroom, Ohno Covers All Ground

ON HIS ACTING It’s not something I can say I truly, 100 percent dedicated myself to yet. I’ll have to gain the true respect of the art of acting before I can really call myself an actor in any sense of the word. Because that’s the last thing I want to do is go out there and be some flop who considers himself an actor. It would be shameful. So until I can truly go out there and do something that’s considered professional and legitimate, I don’t think I would call myself an actor. If I can apply the same mentality I have toward sport, hopefully I can gain some success.

AP | Hamelin, Wang win 500 titles at short track worlds

Ron Judd's Olympics Blog | Celski gets a win -- and beats his hero -- in Vienna

Seattle Times | Short track: Celski places 3rd, Ohno is 4th in race at worlds

J.R. Celski of Federal Way and Apolo Ohno of Seattle skate at the short-track worlds Friday in Vienna, Austria.

Wow! This was on the front page of Saturday's Washington Post... not connected to Worlds, but still relevant:
Washington Post | Speedskater Finds Career Where He Least Expected

Agonized at hearing the U.S. national anthem seven years ago, Kim now wants to ensure it is played. He aspires to create a U.S. Olympic champion in the Washington suburbs.

On many Friday nights, he brings a half-dozen or more skaters home with him, cooks them a Korean specialty for dinner, then allows them to sleep on mattresses arranged throughout his house so they can make it to Saturday's 6:30 a.m. practice session. He shuttles the entire crew in a large van.

South Korean Kim Dong-Sung, whose bid for gold ended with disqualification at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, directs 6-year-old Jonathan So at the Potomac Speedskating Club. (By John Mcdonnell -- The Washington Post)

Speedskating Canada | Charles Hamelin Takes 500m World Champion Title Back

Speedskating Canada | Canadians Break the Ice at World Short Track Championships

AP | Believe it! Reutter has another impressive season

Universal Sports | Ohno returns to the Worlds, seeks another title

Reuters | Ohno chooses skating over Hollywood, for now

Day 2 Results

Men's 500m A final
1. HAMELIN Charles CAN 41.680
2. KWAK Yoon-Gy KOR 41.739
3. JEAN Olivier CAN 41.855
4. TREMBLAY Francois-Louis CAN 42.164
DQ HAN Jialiang CHN

Women's 500m A final
1. WANG Meng CHN 43.182
2. LIU Qiuhong CHN 43.358
3. GREGG Jessica CAN 43.437
4. ZHOU Yang CHN 44.098

Day 1 Results

Men's 1500m A final
1. LEE Ho-Suk KOR 2:20.967
2. KWAK Yoon-Gy KOR 2:21.078
3. CELSKI J.R. USA 2:21.133
4. OHNO Apolo Anton USA 2:21.321
5. SUI Bao Ku CHN 2:21.338
6. TAKAMIDO Yuzo JPN 2:22.187
7. SIMON Jeff USA 2:43.489
DQ SUNG Si-Bak KOR

Women's 1500m A final
1. KIM Min-Jung KOR 2:21.432
2. ZHOU Yang CHN 2:21.935
3. SHIN Sae-Bom KOR 2:22.012
4. REUTTER Katherine USA 2:34.815
5. LIU Qiuhong CHN 2:42.269
DQ JUNG Eun-Ju KOR
DQ WANG Meng CHN

Two-time Olympian Allison Baver collided with teammate Katherine Reutter during the third lap of the Ladies 1500m A final at the ISU World Cup short track speed skating event in Sofia, Bulgaria on Sunday, leaving Baver with multiple fractures in her right leg. She will be flying back to Pennsylvania for surgery on Monday.

“She entered the pads in a really bad position and it was impossible to do anything to avoid this injury,” said Laurent Daignault, National Short Track Assistant coach. “She’ll have to have a long straight cast to keep her leg stable. It looks painful, but she has a really strong attitude.”

After the race resumed, Reutter finished in second place, earning a silver medal and trip to the podium. In the Ladies 1500m B final, Jessica Smith finished first, putting in a strong performance at her first World Cup Short Track event. Kimberly Derrick finished fourth in the 1000m and Lana Gehring finished third in the 1000m B Final.

The U.S. men’s team struggled during Friday's and Saturday's events with falls and disqualifications. J.R. Celski was pulled out of the competition for the rest of the races after two falls in the relay quarter-final left him with a knee contusion.

“He managed to stand up twice and finish the race,” Daignault said, “and he still qualified for the semifinal. We withdrew him from the competition because of his condition and to allow him a fast recovery so he can be in good condition for next weekend and the World Championships.”

But in Sunday’s races, the men recouped with Jeff Simon winning a silver medal in the 500m and Jordan Malone earning a second-place finish in the second 1,000m event.

The team travels to Dresden, Germany, for next weekend’s ISU World Cup event and Daignault said they all are hoping for a quick return to the ice for Baver.

“The team wishes the best recovery for Allison,” he said, “All members of the team have been very helpful and nice to her.”

Wishing both Allison and J.R. a speedy recovery! Congrats to Katherine, J.R. and Jeff for their medals this weekend.